A 4th-generation family business, Wentz Funeral Home

A 4th-generation family Home helps your family

By Ashley Pierce Contributing Writer

In 1894, Harry E. Wentz, Sr. started a funeral home business in Atglen, Pennsylvania. At the time, there were no physical funeral homes, so Harry E. Wentz would travel to the family’s home to provide his services. Around 1900, Harry’s two sons – Harry E. Wentz, Jr. and Joseph Wentz –opened the first physical location, also in Atglen, PA. That building, which was the original Wentz Funeral Home, is still standing, now an apartment complex. Over time, as the business grew and as the Wentz family was serving families all over Western Chester County, Harry E. Wentz decided a change of location was in order to be more convenient for the families they served in Coatesville. In the late 1930s, Harry E. Wentz moved his business to Chestnut Street in Coatesville, PA into a house that was previously owned by the Worth family, who owned the Worth Steel Mill. Today, Wentz Funeral Home is still going strong and being run by Harry’s daughter and granddaughter –M. Joye Wentz and Kirstin Wentz McElroy. Wentz Funeral Home offers traditional viewing and funeral service, cremation, cremation

business, Wentz Funeral when they need it most

with a viewing, direct burial, burial at sea; they do it all.

Joye Wentz is a third-generation funeral director. Joye knew she wanted to be a funeral director from the time she was eight years old. “It was my desire to help people. As a little girl, I watched my dad help people and I wanted to do the same. From the time I was eight years old, I wanted this job. It was the only thing I wanted to do.” Joye said. While, at the time, being a funeral director was a male-dominated profession. “My dad’s sisters told me, ‘You can’t do that, that’s not a job for a girl.’ I was raised with the idea that I could do anything – it didn’t matter that I was a young girl, I never thought about the fact that it was a “male profession,” it was just what I wanted to do.”

Kirstin Wentz McElroy, Joye’s daughter and the fourthgeneration family funeral director, had a similar desire as her mother. “I watched her help people and that’s what I wanted to do that too. I wanted to help people at some of the most difficult times of their lives.” Joye and Kirstin knew that when death occurred, it was hard on people and both felt passionate about making that time a little easier on them. This isn’t a job they stumbled upon, it’s a job they both grew up with. Joye said, “It’s not a job you walk into and leave at 5 o’clock. It’s a way of life. We’re going to have a funeral and then, next week, we’re going to see those people in the grocery store. It’s not like working for a big company, where you work your hours and you walk away from it. We’re enmeshed in the community.”

Many people might not know exactly what being a

Owners and operators, Kirstin Wentz McElroy and Joye Wentz.

funeral director entails. From the first phone call, Joye and Kirstin are the ones on the other side, ready to help. “If it’s the middle of the night, our answering service may take the call and they immediately send it to us.” Joye said. From there, the mother and daughter pair make contact with the family and go to transfer the body, whether it’s at one’s home or the hospital. “Some people are surprised that we go right away to retrieve the body. Now, in some cases, like a hospital death, we can’t go right away because hospitals have certain pick-up hours or have to finish paperwork to release the body to us first.” If the deceased is to be embalmed, that’s their next step. “Embalming is a process of removing the person’s blood and injecting a chemical to preserve the body. It is required for public services held after 24 hours from the time of death.” Kirstin informed. In Pennsylvania, a body

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cannot be held longer than 24 hours. They either have to be refrigerated, cremated, buried, or embalmed - based on what service they’re having. After the embalming, arrangements are to be made, Kirstin and Joye will sit down with the family, learn about their loved one and gather information. They will also contact the church or minister, the cemetery, help set up a luncheon, order the flowers. “We file veterans’ benefits, we contact Social Security for the family. If they want us to help contact insurance companies, we will do that for them.” Joye said. Then, on the day of the service or night of the viewing, the body has to be dressed and prepared. Kirstin and Joye do their own embalming, makeup, restorative work and casketing within the funeral home. “After the service, we keep in touch with people, if they need any grief support services or any other questions they may have.” said Joye. “We’re there from start to finish and, really, there is no finish. The service may be over today, but we follow up with the family, sometimes for weeks, sometimes for years, depending on what they need.”

While death is a hardship and funerals can seem overwhelming, Kirstin explained the importance of having a funeral or some type of service. “The importance is two-fold. It’s important to honor the life that is lost and it’s also helpful for those who are left behind, the survivors, with their grieving. The funeral puts into reality that death has occurred but also brings people together, shows supports, and helps them move on to a new life without the person who has died.” Another vital step to consider would be pre-planning one’s own funeral. While it may be a subject some do not wish to think about, it alleviates stress on the survivors and allows

you to choose your own wishes. “Pre-planning lets you plan your funeral exactly how you want it. We offer the option of pre-paying for those who want everything taken care of beforehand.” Kirstin said. It’s not just for those of a certain age either. “At any age, you can at least start to think about it. Your choices may change, but there’s never a wrong time to start planning because we never know what the future holds.” Not to mention, funerals can be expensive and that doesn’t go unnoticed by the Wentz family. “Funerals are a hardship, we don’t want them to be a financial hardship for families, so we try to work within a family’s budget to give their loved one a nice service.” Kirstin said. “It’s a great idea to pre-pay because the money goes into a trust. We don’t hold that money – it goes into a trust where it collects interest, so the interest can cover the increasing cost.” Joye added. Kirstin and Joye are there to make this time as seamless a transition as they can.

At the forefront of Wentz Funeral Home is their commitment to the families they serve. Being a fourthgeneration business, family is what they value most. “We measure success by how much we’ve helped the family, not whether or not we’ve sold them a fancy casket.” Joye said. “We go above and beyond because it’s a family business; it’s our family name out there. We’re working for ourselves and our community.” Being in business for over 120 years, Wentz Funeral Home has proved they’re doing right by their customers. Their long-time business shows compassion and honesty that keep families returning to them. “We don’t necessarily strive to be the biggest funeral home, but we do strive to serve the families as best we can.” Kirstin said. “It gives the families that we serve comfort knowing it’s the same. No, I’m not my great-grandfather, but I’m the same family that served their family generations ago.”

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A common thought regarding being a funeral director would be that it is a stressful, upsetting, and demanding job, but Joye doesn’t see it that way. “I can’t say I ever look at this job as stressful.” Both Kirstin and Joye feel the rewards of helping families. “I think the fact that it’s so rewarding, that we’re helping people, is comforting.” Kirstin added, “It’s a job, but it’s not because we truly love what we do.” They take their time with families, to learn about the loved one that was lost, and make each and every funeral unique.

Joye and Kirstin’s personal touch sets the Wentz family name apart, as well as their mother-daughter relationship. “I could start a conversation and Kirstin could finish it.” Joye told. “If there’s a decision to be made, I would make it this way and she would make it the exact same way.” Joye and Kirstin’s mother-daughter bond has always been strong throughout Kirstin’s life, but through working side-by-side everyday, they have built a special connection. This connection is not only shared between the two of them, but with the community as a whole. Kirstin said, “The community has supported us for years and we try to give back to the community. It’s our way of saying, ‘Thank you for supporting us, we’re supporting the community.’”

Joye and Kirstin’s bond with each other is parallel to the bond they have with their community and shows the strength that Wentz Funeral Home gives back to the families that need it most. Joye said, “I feel fortunate to have found a career and profession that I feel very fulfilled in; that has been something where I could help others. When you find that, you’re lucky.” Kirstin added, “We’re fortunate that we work together and are able to so well.” With the passion of the generations that came before them, Wentz Funeral Home stands to be here for many more generations to come.

Octorara Area Career & Technical Education Programs: Where Futures Begin!

The Octorara Area School District is unique to other districts in Chester County in that the Junior-Senior High School includes a ‘school within a school model’ that offers eleven career and technical education programs. Known as OACTEP, Octorara’s career and technical education programs combine college preparation with real-world workforce skills development so students are ready to pursue their goals upon graduation from high school. Today, students need a rigorous academic education along with 21st century skills to ensure success in the workplace. Fortunately, students no longer need to choose between the academic courses needed for college and a vocational or technical training program. The STEM related career and technical education (CTE) courses offered by OACTEP allow students to customize their education in wide range of high priority occupational areas, including business, woodworking, engineering, childhood education, graphic design & illustration, culinary, technology, animal science and plant science, agriculture, engine repair, welding, and much more. Students are well prepared for continuing education at entry-level positions or for additional training at technical schools and colleges. All of Octorara’s career and technical education programs are aligned to the Pennsylvania state standards for workforce have practical application after graduation. For example, within the Animal and Plant Science program, students may participate in the Octorara Equine Sports Team. Working with nationally known local professionals, students are exposed to different riding disciplines and prepared for a wide range of career opportunities in the equestrian industry. According to OACTEP Director Lisa McNamara, “The Animal and Plant Science Program is open to any school district that has a student interested in the equine industry. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime and Octorara students love it!” Another example of practical application includes the OACTEP partnership with Dutchland, Inc. to offer a Pennsylvania approved apprenticeship program. This apprenticeship partnership provides a high-quality career pathway for Octorara students and helps Dutchland develop and prepare their future workforce. Octorara graduates obtain paid work experience, classroom instruction, and maintain employment within a successful company with a successful career. “Placing students directly with experienced professionals serves as a recruitment tool for potential employers,” McNamara notes. “We have begun to see a growing gap that separates education from the practical and technical skill sets further emphasizes that “educational systems have to reach out to industries and ask what they need and what they want.” According to McNamara, “Employers are telling us, we need trained and focused skills in our industry.” OACTEP is also excited to announce the addition of solar energy to the school district campus. Through a grant from the Dockstader Foundation and OLLO Energy, OACTEP will be installing 24 solar panels. As a result of this project, students will study solar energy as part of a larger overview of renewable energy sources. Students will learn about output per panel, how to measure energy use, and how to monitor the module on a computer to see the input of energy the panels produce. OACTEP continues to extend opportunities for all students in Chester County to participate in the Octorara Homeland Security & Protective Services Academy. This program is for any student interested in a ca care, EMT, emergency management, and the military. Students receive vehicles and participate in real-life situations. In partnership with the Chester County Public Safety Training Campus, the Academy prepares students to apply technical knowledge and skills required to perform services, and other safety services. “It’s an unbelievable career development opportunity for our students also known as academy cadets,” notes Lisa McNamara. Students enrolled in the Academy give back to their community, immediately. They have access to every industry that offered through the program ensure student success. Students graduate from the program with over 64 industry credentials, and if they choose to go to a two-year or four-year college, the credentials may convert to college credits, and qualify them for free college housing and tuition. To learn more about all eleven Octorara Area Career & Technical Education Program opportunities, visit www.octorara.k12.pa.us, or contact Lisa McNamara at 610-593-8238.